Chapter 328: The Battle Begins
Upon seeing Rhodes's appearance, nearby people showed surprise.
"This is the Thunder God Swordsman? He doesn't look quite like the photos in the newspapers."
"Although that Sea King was terrifying, the Thunder God Swordsman himself seems much less imposing than Kaido of the Beasts."
"That's right. This battle might not be as close as expected, but witnessing two emperor-class fighters is still worthwhile."
People exchanged glances, their voices hushed.
These words clearly reached Rhodes's ears. He chuckled, ignoring them, and continued walking toward the island's center.
His pace wasn't fast, but each step covered dozens of meters, as if he were using Soru, and he soon arrived at the center of the island.
"Taming a Sea King of that level with Conqueror's Haki—seems you've really grown considerably."
Shanks's eyes gleamed with recognition.
Among those present, or rather in this entire world, only he possessed Conqueror's Haki comparable to Rhodes's current level. He understood best just how powerful one's Haki needed to be to accomplish what Rhodes had done.
In terms of Conqueror's Haki alone, the only difference between them was whether it had been awakened or not.
"..."
Rhodes looked at Shanks. During the Paramount War, this red-haired man had given him an overwhelming sense of pressure and threat, but now he seemed... manageable.
"I'm very interested in Conqueror's Haki awakening. We should spar sometime."
"I'm always ready."
Shanks smiled. He was equally interested in Rhodes's swordsmanship.
"But right now, you still have to get past Kaido."
Almost at that moment, a roar like thunder erupted from ahead:
"You dare keep me waiting, brat!"
Rhodes turned to see Kaido of the Beasts standing up, gripping his massive kanabo, staring at him from across the clearing.
This was Rhodes's first time seeing Kaido in person.
His first impression was: tall, powerful, and savage.
In the original timeline, Kaido had nearly killed a much stronger Luffy with a single blow. His strength was definitely the most formidable enemy Rhodes had ever faced. Neither Kurman Luke nor Fleet Admiral Sakazuki could compare.
"The protagonist always appears last, doesn't he?"
Rhodes said casually.
Kaido paused slightly, processed the comment, then roared:
"Kid, I'm going to kill you!"
Without another word, the battle began. His thunderous roar still echoed as Kaido of the Beasts started running.
Words couldn't describe the momentum of Kaido's charge!
A gigantic figure, nearly three stories tall and incredibly massive, running at full speed created a truly astonishing spectacle.
Wherever he passed, it was as if a series of explosions occurred. The shockwaves alone sent earth and redwood trees flying skyward while rocks crumbled to dust.
Some pirates too slow to retreat were directly crushed by debris.
"This is too insane!"
The spectators fleeing the island were terrified and quickly accelerated their retreat.
No one who survived in the New World was a fool.
They all understood the devastating aftershocks of battles between supreme powers. They'd already begun retreating when Rhodes appeared and spoke with Shanks.
By this time, Sengoku had already led the Marines back to their warships.
"Don't worry too much. The Thunder God Swordsman accepted this challenge, so he must have confidence. He won't be easily defeated."
Vice Admiral Tsuru said to Gion.
Gion glanced at her but didn't respond. She merely glanced toward the warship's cabin from the corner of her eye, her brows furrowing slightly. She still hadn't detected Sengoku's trump card. This lack of awareness didn't comfort her—instead, it was even more unsettling.
It meant the hidden operative's Observation Haki was extremely advanced, powerful enough to evade her senses at close range.
Such a person, if they struck, could be lethal.
"Don't act rashly, Gion. The World Government takes this operation very, very seriously."
Tsuru emphasized, her tone grave.
"I understand."
Gion nodded slightly, ceasing her furtive glances.
At this moment, Kaido of the Beasts, carrying the terrifying momentum of a meteor strike, charged toward Rhodes. The resulting gale whipped Rhodes's clothes and long hair into a violent flutter.
"..."
Faced with this onslaught, Rhodes's expression remained unchanged. He slowly gripped his sword hilt, preparing to meet the attack.
He wanted to test Kaido's true strength.
Although Kaido's power was undoubtedly terrifying based on size and aura alone, Rhodes didn't yet have a clear understanding of exactly how strong he was and needed to gauge it firsthand.
Seeing that Rhodes didn't dodge, Kaido, charging at full speed, revealed a ferocious and cruel grin. He gripped his kanabo in one hand and brought it crashing down toward Rhodes with devastating force.
The air exploded as if a massive bomb had detonated.
"Haaah!"
Rhodes simply gripped his sword with both hands, spread his stance, twisted his waist, and channeled power through his spine into his arms, unleashing a fierce upward slash.
BOOM!
When sword and kanabo collided, the sound wasn't the clang of metal against metal, but a terrifying roar like a thunderclap.
The void suddenly froze, then rippled outward, forming an incredibly devastating shockwave that exploded in all directions.
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
This shockwave was almost tangible, sweeping across the area like a tidal wave, uprooting trees and shattering boulders, clearing a hundred-meter-wide path in its wake.
"Indeed powerful."
Rhodes's sword arm trembled slightly. If his physique hadn't also broken through human limitations, he probably would have been sent flying by Kaido's strike.
He secretly rejoiced that he'd achieved his breakthrough before coming. Otherwise, his situation would likely be far worse.
However, even having withstood the impact, he was still pushed back considerably, his feet sinking into the earth from the overwhelming force.
"Kid, you're still too green! Die here!"
Kaido's eyes widened like a wild beast's, gripping his kanabo and increasing the pressure, seemingly intent on overwhelming Rhodes with a single strike. His dominance was absolute.
"Heh."
Rhodes chuckled lightly, taking advantage of a slight opening created by Kaido's increased force to dodge aside.
CRASH!
The next instant, the kanabo slammed into the ground with devastating momentum, unleashing a torrent of destructive power.
The earth crumbled instantly, creating a massive crater as if struck by a missile.
In that moment, Rhodes had already repositioned to Kaido's flank, unleashing a silver sword slash through the air.
"Whoosh!"
Though Rhodes's swordsmanship hadn't yet reached the realm of a Great Swordsman, the strength and power of his lightning-infused sword slash were at Great Swordsman level, capable of contending with even Shiki the Golden Lion—showing just how sharp and powerful it was.
But Kaido merely snorted coldly, completely unconcerned. He simply charged straight through the silver sword slash, shattering it, and emerged completely unharmed—only a few faint white marks appeared on his body before disappearing instantly.
"This..."
Even Rhodes was somewhat surprised.
Kaido hadn't used Armament Haki—he'd relied purely on his physical defense!
This was astonishing.
Rhodes had never imagined a creature could withstand his sword energy with bare flesh alone. Even without using his full strength, this was terrifying.
Unbelievable.
(End of Chapter)
[Support Goal: 500 PS → +1 Chapter]
[Support Goal: 10 Reviews → +1 Chapter]
Your review helps the story grow.
P1treon Soulforger (30+chapters ahead)